This Week's Bloom 🌻

Sunflower — Happiness • Optimism • Looking Toward the Light

Sunflowers have a wonderful way of reminding us which direction to face.

Have you ever had one of those days when you're trying to do six things at once...and somehow accomplishing none of them? Welcome to my world. 😉

I'll start a load of laundry, remember an email I need to answer, walk into the kitchen to refill my coffee, notice something on the counter that needs putting away—and five minutes later I'm standing there wondering...What was I doing? Please tell me I'm not alone.

This week marks the beginning of fall and the autumnal equinox, that wonderful moment on the calendar when day and night are nearly equal. Balance. Apparently, Mother Nature has figured it out. I'm still working on it.

Sometimes I feel as though we're all juggling invisible balls. Family. Work. Friends. Exercise. Appointments. Housework. Emails. Volunteering. That phone call we've been meaning to make. And just when we think we've got everything under control, somebody tosses another ball into the air. Or, in my case, I remember something I was supposed to do yesterday. Oops.

I've always thought having "balance" meant somehow finding enough time to do everything. But lately, I'm beginning to wonder if I've had it all wrong. Maybe balance isn't about doing everything. Maybe it's about knowing what matters today.

There are days when the laundry really can wait. An email doesn't always need an immediate response. The weeds aren't going anywhere. Trust me, I've tested this theory. And maybe sitting outside for ten minutes with a cup of coffee, listening to the birds and appreciating a beautiful morning isn't wasting time. Perhaps it's exactly what we need.

That's one reason I chose the sunflower for this week's bloom. Sunflowers seem so cheerful, don't they? They don't appear terribly concerned with a to-do list. They simply stand tall and turn toward the light. There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Life moves quickly. If we're always thinking about what needs to be done next, we can miss what's happening right now: a conversation with someone we love, a beautiful morning, a funny moment, a friend who needs us, or simply the chance to sit quietly and be grateful for another day.

So this fall, I'm going to try something different. Instead of attempting to perfectly balance everything, I'm going to pay a little more attention to what deserves my time—and a little less attention to what simply demands it.

Will I succeed every day? Probably not. I'll let you know right after I finish the laundry, answer my emails, exercise, make dinner, write another chapter and figure out why I walked into the kitchen. 😉

🌼 Before We Turn the Page...

This week, take one thing off someone else's plate. Carry the groceries. Make the phone call. Bring someone a cup of coffee. Offer to handle the little chore nobody wants to do.

And while you're helping someone else find a little balance, give yourself permission to put something down too. Take ten minutes. Look around. Be grateful. And like the sunflower...turn your face toward the light.

The rest can wait until tomorrow.

Many Blessings and Blossoms,
~ Jill ~